The invention relates to a ramp assembly for use with a wheeled cargo transportation cart, and in particular to a wheeled cart that moves in any direction and contains a cargo ramp assembly with a spring loaded pivot means to pivot a ramp member between a loading position for loading and unloading of cargo and a storage position for storage of cargo, and a braking assembly that uses an adjustment member to engage a locking element with a support surface to keep the wheeled cart stationary.
Wheeled carts are used extensively for moving motorcycles, all terrain vehicles, lawn mowers, snowmobiles, and the like. Typically, the wheels of the cart swivel to allow for universal movement of the cart on a smooth surface. The cart thereby facilitates the maneuverability of its cargo. The carts are used to transport their cargo between two remote locations where it would normally be cumbersome or difficult to move the cargo without the aid of a cart. Sometimes the cargo is stored on the cart itself. One common use for the carts is to maneuver motorcycles through crowded garages or storage areas. The swiveling wheels of the cart may allow the motorcycle to be moved into cramped locations for storage. For example, to move a motor cycle into position parallel to a wall, with items in front and behind the desired location for the motorcycle, the motorcycle may have to be lifted off the ground, or at least, an iterative process of backing and moving forward, slowly angling the motorcycle into place would be required. Wheeled carts allow the motorcycle to be moved transverse to its normal direction of travel, so that the motorcycle can slide easily into an otherwise crowded storage position parallel to a wall.
The preferred method of loading a motorcycle, or other wheeled items, onto a wheeled cart is to roll the motorcycle up a ramp and onto a cargo surface of the wheeled cart. In the case of free standing ramps, the ramps require positioning adjacent to the wheeled cart every time the cargo is loaded or unloaded. Every time the wheeled cart moves to a new location the freestanding ramp also requires relocation. Freestanding ramps are easily lost or misplaced, as well as being temporarily inaccessible. An attached ramp has the advantage of always being accessible to the wheeled cart, but requires some means to disengage and engage the ramp to allow for rolling movement of the cart.
A further complication can result from movement of the wheeled cart during loading and unloading. For this reason, it is advantageous to provide some means for preventing rolling movement of the cart during loading and unloading. Furthermore, it is desirable to prevent the cart from accidentally rolling out of place during storage. Most carts are provided with some device for preventing the cart from rolling during loading and storage. One method of preventing unwanted roll, is to make the wheels themselves lockable. This method has the difficulties of requiring each wheel to be locked individually and of being difficult to ascertain from a visual inspection whether all the wheels are in the locked position or the free rolling position.
An improvement on the prior art locking wheels are spring loaded plungers that can be adjusted to remove the weight of the cart from the wheels and place the weight onto the plungers. As with the locking wheels, spring loaded plungers have the disadvantage of requiring individual activation. Also, as the plungers are activated one-by-one, the cart can tilt or twist out of its desired position and orientation. Therefore, a need exists for a braking assembly that can be implemented with a single adjustment and that does not induce twisting or tilting of the cart.
The difficulties encountered in the prior art and discussed above are substantially eliminated by the present invention.